Anadolu Agency's third international photo contest will feature world-renowned names on its jury
The jury of the third Istanbul Photo Awards 2017 -- the international news and sports photography contest organized by Anadolu Agency -- will boast world-renowned editors, publishers, and photojournalists.
Among the world-famous jury members are Marion Mertens, digital editor of French newsweekly Paris Match; NOOR agency photojournalist Yuri Kozyrev; Getty Images Australian photographer Cameron Spencer; Istanbul Photo Awards 2016 winner Sergey Ponomarev, who won a Pulitzer Prize for images of refugees arriving at a Greek island; Anadolu Agency Visual News Editor Ahmet Sel; and Anadolu Agency Photography Editor Firat Yurdakul.
Applications for the Istanbul Photo Awards 2017 are open through Jan. 31.
Seasoned Paris Match Editor Mertens
After working as Paris Match’s deputy news deputy editor for 15 years, Marion Mertens became its digital editor. Mertens directs the magazine’s Internet, tablet and mobile formats. Before joining Paris Match in 1998, Mertens worked at Le Figaro, l'Express, and VSD.
Getty photojournalist, sports expert
Successful Getty Images photojournalist Cameron Spencer is also serving on the Istanbul Photo Awards 2017 jury. Since 2004, Spencer has worked professionally on sports and portrait photography. Famous photographer Spencer's comments will be important for Istanbul Photo Awards' sport-single and sport-multiple categories.
From Istanbul Photo Awards 2016 to a Pulitzer
Sergey Ponomarev, who took first prize in the Istanbul Photo Awards 2016 single-news category for his photo "Refugees" and got the Pulitzer Prize for the same photo, is also on the Istanbul Photo Awards 2017 jury. Ponomarev worked for the Associated Press in 2003-2012 and continued his career at the New York Times. He won third prize in the World Press Photo award in the General News category for his photos showing the tragedy in Gaza.
Ponomarev rose to prominence for his photos depicting culture and daily life in Russia. He has won multiple awards both nationally and internationally.
Other members of the 2017 jury include: Liza Factor, a curator who is famous for her multimedia works; AFP Photograph Distribution and Business Development Director Michel Scotto; Shanghai Photograph Center Director and Pulitzer-winning photojournalist Liu Heung Shing; photojournalist and visual media consultant Georges De Keerle; Anadolu Agency Video News Editor-in-Chief Ahmet Sel; and Anadolu Agency Photography Editor Firat Yurdakul.
Anadolu Agency Video News Editor-in-Chief Ahmet Sel said the Istanbul Photo Awards has once again assembled a prestigious jury.
As exampled, he named "Yuri Kozirev, Sergey Ponamarev, and Cameron Spencer, photojournalists who shot the best news and sports photos in years past, and France's biggest newsmagazine Paris Match's Digital Editor Marion Mertens, who are both on the Istanbul Photo Awards contest jury."
"Mertens, one of the leading actors of news photography in France, is a top official at Paris Match, which sets the international news photography agenda," Sel said.
He added: "Experienced editor Mertens has made Paris Match digital a website followed by millions of readers from around the world. Paris Match digital is well known for being uncompromising in photojournalism, and boasts a website that photographers follow in the hope of being published."
Moving forward in its 3rd year
Esra Kirecci, Anadolu Agency’s corporate communications director, also said that the contest has entered its third year. Kirecci added that they have been moving forward consistently for three years in terms of jury quality, the caliber of the participants, and the results.
She said: "Daniel Berehulak, who won the Photo of the Year prize in our first contest in 2015, just after that won the Pulitzer Prize and joined our 2016 jury."
"Last year, Russian photojournalist Sergey Ponomarev got first place in our single-photograph category and right after won the Pulitzer Prize for the same photo. This is a great honor for us as only a three-year-old contest, and it shows that our jury is following the photographic world closely," she added.
Kirecci said that they want to make this a tradition at the contest.
She added that they are planning to have the contest winner sit on next year’s jury, if possible.
The jury of the Istanbul Photo Awards 2017 -- with the official sponsor Turkish Airlines and support from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) -- will meet in March to consider the applications made from around the world.
After pre-selection, the jury will select the most powerful photos of world events from 2016, considering the photos in terms of content, aesthetics, and technique.
Applications can be made at www.istanbulphotoawards.com through Jan. 31.